Ants are tiny insects that plague homes and businesses. With over 12,000 different species of ants that have been identified, it is difficult to avoid a home invasion. The ant is a social insect that lives in colonies with a queen, soldiers, workers, and drones. Each member plays an important role in the survival of the colony.
Not all ant species invade homes. In fact, evidence shows that only a few species have been identified as home invaders. If ants have been spotted in your home, the species is most likely the black carpenter ant or argentine ant. Other species that invade homes include the acrobat, Asian needle, crazy, European fire, field, and dark rover ants.
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How Do Ants Get In My Home
A door and window are common entry points for ants into a home. Home developers wrap window and door openings with Tyvek insulation. Caulk is applied around the outer edges after installation is complete. Such practices are not only required by code and building law but they are required because they seal potential ant access points.
Improperly sealed windows, doors, heating & air conditioning ducts, garage doors, attic vents, and plumbing passages are access points for ants. These openings not only offer unwanted air drafts but they entice ants to come into your home.
Ants, including the largest species, the carpenter ant, can squeeze through the tiniest crevice, crack, and gap. To add further to the frustration, it is impossible to properly seal all these openings.
How Do Ants Access Toilet Bowl?
Once a colony of ants invades a home, they immediately start scavenging for food. Most home ant sightings involve the kitchen because it is where food is almost always readily available. It is important to remember, ants can feast for days on a small morsel of food.
Ants have six elbow-shaped legs. Like humans, ants have a femur and tibia with one major difference. The human femur and tibia are bones, while the ant femur and tibia are made of chitin, a flexible, durable material.
The ant leg has a pre-tarsus, tarsus, trochanter, tibia, femur, and coxa. The six tiny elbow-shaped legs allow the ant to climb on inclined objects, walk on flat surfaces, and upside down on ceilings. It is easy to see how ants accessed your toilet bowl.
Why Do Ants Get In A Toilet Bowl?
Ants inside toilet bowl. Ants and humans have the same needs for sustained life. Due to their size, work mentality, and resourcefulness, ants can even thrive in conditions where humans would perish.
Food, water, and shelter are essentials for any living thing, including ants. As mentioned above, ants generally target kitchens and dining rooms in residential settings. What most people do not know is the ant colony is continuously expanding. Worker ants are constantly refilling the colony’s food supply. The need for more food continues to grow along with the colony which is why ants invade homes.
Weather is another common factor. In areas where the weather reaches extreme highs and lows, ants and similar insects will seek covered shelter indoors. Sometimes these creatures will just start appearing in great numbers in the most obscure of locations, like the toilet bowl.
Ants feed on human waste, such as fecal matter and urine. In fact, ants are drawn to human waste. They utilize their tiny antennas to detect the odors emitting from a toilet bowl.
Getting Rid Of Ants In Your Toilet Bowl
Have you found ants in your bathroom? Ultimately, you’ll want to get rid of them right away. Although you may be tempted to use over-the-counter pesticides, you should think again. After all, you’re likely going to be exposed to these chemicals. On top of that, they’re going to enter your sewage system. Instead, you should use safer solutions that won’t harm anyone in your house.
For instance, you might be able to get rid of the ants in your toilet bowl using a combination of white vinegar and baking soda. Use equal parts and mix them together. Then, you can pour the combination down the drain. If you’re not going to use the toilet for a while, let the mixture sit in the bowl.
Be sure to flush and clean the toilet. If the ants return, you can follow the steps again to get rid of them. Clean your toilet more frequently to reduce the likelihood that you’re going to find ants in your bowl again.
Are Ants In The Bathroom Dangerous?
Certain pests can be downright dangerous because they’ll bite and spread illnesses. Ants typically do not fit into this group although they can cause other problems. The ants in your bathroom aren’t going to hurt you or spread disease. Still, you’ll want to get rid of them promptly. Ants tend to travel in large groups.
If you see one ant in your home, there are many more coming. Be ready to deal with a large infestation. Ants can be downright annoying and frustrating when they begin taking over your bathroom and toilet. When necessary, consider hiring a professional exterminator to get rid of them.
However, you can start by using DIY methods to remove them from your toilet bowl. You’ll also want to clean your toilet regularly so the ants do not have a reason to enter your bowl.
Overall – Ants Inside Toilet Bowl
You’re likely worried after seeing ants in your toilet bowl, but you shouldn’t be. Typically, this is natural because ants are attracted to the odors coming from the toilet. For instance, they get into the toilet to access the chemical odors, foul scents, and fermented hair found in toilet bowls. The bathroom is one of the most common targets for ants.
They might be entering the bathroom through the plumbing pipes connected to your house. Regardless, it is pertinent to remove them from the home right away. In some cases, you may be able to flush them down. Be careful about using chemicals in your toilet since those chemicals are going to enter your septic or sewer system.